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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. content — happy
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — in cards
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — low music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com